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SNT & Christmas McNuggets!

I grew up thinking that people were supposed to eat McDonald's Chicken McNuggets at Christmas parties, partly because that's a really fun thing to believe, but mostly because the chain churned out several television commercials promoting their nugs as a holiday hallmark. The general theme in these ads, mostly from the mid 80's, was that the special box of 20 Chicken McNuggets made for breezy pass-aroundage at crowded parties. I loved that "special box." You know the one. Looked like something you'd carry a pet hamster home from the pet store in.


Today's featured ad doesn't say it outright, but it's skipping the party push more for an insinuation that YOU, busy as heck from the hustle and bustle of the holiday season, require good food and fast. This is illustrated by a man holding a stack of Christmas presents, being handed McNuggets from some off-camera ghoul. Admittedly, it's something that works a bit better visually than on paper, because man that sounds spooky when I describe it.

I prefer to think of McDonald's Chicken McNuggets as being made from some totally alien meat that's grown in tubes, was never alive and came into this world in a perfectly nuggetable shape. Within that, this commercial's penchant for showing a fully cooked whole chicken being sliced up is a bit disconcerting. I don't want to think about chicken when I'm eating Chicken McNuggets.

McDonald's had a real knack for holiday-themed advertisements, and though this one falls on the lower end, it still makes me want to stand up and yell for Father Christmas to bring me hamburgers. Click here to watch the commercial!

This is your SNT. Take advantage of the fact that people you know in real life don't read X-Entertainment by discussing some of the best/worst gifts you've bought for your friends and relatives this holiday season.

Posted by Matt on 12/02/2006. E-mail me!



Discussion Thread: 74 comments

Terror Claws, if I may overanalyze and be OVERLY nostalgic to the point of being ridiculous, I think one thing that made the McDonald’s magic possibe was a trend in advertising that just isn’t possible anymore. Commericals have ALWAYS made outrageous claims regarding happiness and customer satisfaction. Patrons and customers have ALWAYS known this to be the case but I think people used to be more willing to go along with the charade. Audiences today seek to be too savvy plus so many things are parody and self-referential now (man, I miss the days when that was the exception and not the norm. Thanks SCREAM) that the illusion is just not not going to fly.
One more possiblity could be the complete lack of effort to maintain the McDonaldland characters. If they were smart, they could do something a la THE BURGER KING KING with Ronald and the gang to appeal to the ADULTSWIM crowd. Everybody does kids meals characters now (C’mon RED LOBSTER and OUTBACK) but there is only one true mayor of my heart and his head consists of faux meat and cheesy goodness.

Chestnuts roasted by Anonymous @ 12/02/2006 10:17 PM

This is the first time posting a comment here and I thus did so without knowing theirs no edit button, Now my writing flaws sit there in my comment tuanting me. Next I’ll try to double check for flaws before sending out for you kind folks.

Chestnuts roasted by Sallee @ 12/02/2006 10:17 PM

My worst gift will be given this year, to my entire family: I cannot afford to get gifts for more than my nephew and my birthson this year. I can’t even afford to drive to my parents’ house, or anywhere other than places that are absolutely necessary. My health this year has prevented me from getting a job, so I’ve had to subsist on my retirement annuity alone, which means I had just enough to cover bills and the ocassional emergency (and sometimes not even then).

I’m sure things will change by this time next year, but it makes for a tough Christmas this year. :(

Chestnuts roasted by Moony @ 12/02/2006 10:18 PM

Terror Claws, if I may be overanalytical and ridiculously nostaligic, I think one reason why McDonald’s was able to have such magic was due to a commerical trend that is just not possible anymore. Commericals have ALWAYS made outrageous claims regarding happiness and customer satisfaction. Patrons and customers have ALWAYS been in on this fact but they used to be willing to take part in the charade. Sure a McNugget won’t change your life but isn’t it nice to think that it could??
Now, everything is so full of parody and self-referential (man, I miss the days when that was the exception and not the norm. Thanks SCREAM) that that kind of illusion just isn’t going to fly.
Another possibility is that there has no been no effort to maintain the McDonaldland crew. If McDonald’s were smart, they would do a campaign a la the Burger King King ads to appeal to the ADULTSWIM crowd using Ronald and the gang. Every restaurant does characters now for the kids menu(RED LOBSTER?? OUTBACK??) but there is only one true mascot mayor of my heart and his head is made of faux meat and cheesy goodness.

Chestnuts roasted by The Manimal @ 12/02/2006 10:31 PM

My mom likes to go for walks in these absurd winters we have, so I’m gonna get her fancy shmancy gloves, since she never buys nice things for herself.

Chestnuts roasted by Jeff Mack @ 12/02/2006 10:32 PM

You guys can make your heads, get with my heads, and they could be heads — shit, we could do this every weekend. yo matt, is that like biggies video

Chestnuts roasted by pdac @ 12/02/2006 10:39 PM

I just lost my brother’s digital camera today. So, it looks like I’m getting him a new one for Christmas. Oh joy.

Chestnuts roasted by Cid @ 12/02/2006 10:49 PM

Well, considering the fact that my sister and I went in on a house together this year, we made the executive decision to do only gifts for my niece (who’s already spoiled rotten, but Dec. 23rd is the first anniversary of her coming home from the hospital after being born three months premature). So we decided to go great-guns and went in on a TMX Elmo just to show not only our fantastic earning potential with our big city jobs that impress the hell out of my brother’s PA Dutch in-laws, but our incredible procurement skills in the new eBay economy.

Oh and I went out and finally got myself a driver’s license. Yeah, it’s only a good twelve years late, but hey, I did it and that’s what really matter, right?

Chestnuts roasted by LemurCat @ 12/02/2006 11:01 PM

I don’t want to think about chicken when I’m eatting: Dorritos, Chicken McNuggets, Chocolate Cake, Turkey, Popsicles, Lucky Charms, or drinking Pepsi Holiday Spice.

MERRY CHIRSTMAS, GANG!

ps: Best Buy has Christmas movies 2 for $20.

Chestnuts roasted by Fox @ 12/02/2006 11:17 PM

Man, Manimal, we are totally on the same page dude. I agree on the resurrection of McDonaldland characters. I find your ideas on the collective illusion fascinating and novel.

And I’ve spent over $40 in Burger King merchandise. Imagine what they could get out of me for retro McDonaldland stuff! Now back to Christmas.

Chestnuts roasted by Terror Claws Cole @ 12/02/2006 11:19 PM

Cause we sued them into the stoneage, that’s why. Thanks for your time.

Chestnuts roasted by Sid & Marty Krofft @ 12/02/2006 11:24 PM

Well, right now, I don’t have much, and I won’t have much since I’m broke. My best friend said “don’t get me any knick-knacks,” so she’s getting five blank videocassettes I found at the thrift shop where I volunteer and a mint-condition 1984 Transformers picture book from a church bazaar. My sister is getting three cookbooks (she says she loves them and she often cooks for friends).

Right now, I’m having a hard time figuring out how I’m going to afford the rent, much less Christmas. The grocery store where I work severly slashed our hours (again), and I haven’t heard from the two bookstores I put applications in for.

Chestnuts roasted by starwenn @ 12/02/2006 11:27 PM

Although I only ever made it to McDonalds about twice when I was a kid (it was a very special event, usually reserved for someone else’s birthday party) given the monkey-burger rumours that began in about 1989, favourite topic of conversation after Bart Simpson, I always went for the nuggets. I don’t know if the English and US versions differ, but all I can say is ours tasted like the cardboard boxes they came in. I know because I tried both.

Personally haven’t bought anything whatsoever yet, but living in Japan means virtually anything I take back home is regarded as freaky and unique and interesting…. although I’m not sure I’ll want customs looking through my bag at the other end… Having a bag full of panda porn, breast puddings and toilet slippers is somewhat embarrassing.

Chestnuts roasted by SmallEvilApe @ 12/02/2006 11:29 PM

This is completely off topic, but I would like to say that I found Quisp at my Grocery Store yesterday, and they want 4.99 a box….it’s a small box. I’m sure I will probably end up buying a box eventually, since I’ve been curious about it for years….but 5 bucks for a tiny box of cereal? That’ll mean 10 bucks at the store for a box to eat and a box to save. Ick.

Chestnuts roasted by MissJess @ 12/02/2006 11:39 PM

As far as gifts go you can’t go wrong with gift certificates, think of them as cash you’re forced to spend in one place.

I stole that from someone, will that someone please raise their hand?

Chestnuts roasted by whitemale_98 @ 12/02/2006 11:48 PM

LemurCat Congratulations on getting your license! I say that b/c I am in the process of getting mine after 8 years of putting off. I’m glad I’m not alone.

As for the question of the night. The best gift I’m giving this year will be for my Mom and her Boyfriend, I got them an automatic wine chiller, I just know they will be highly impressed with that.

As for the worst? I’m not sure yet, Hubby and I are trying really hard to get good stuff, but I have a feeling we are going to stiff out on our son. He is still to young to remember or know what is going on this year so we can get away with it. Plus whenever we have bought something for him in the past few months, I always tell my husband to wait to give it to him for x-mas, but we can never wait, we want to play with the toys too!

Chestnuts roasted by IHAQ @ 12/02/2006 11:53 PM

I was sitting around today when I remembered that my McDonald’s Best Buy Bucks expire tonight! So I had to bolt out to see what I could buy. There wasn’t much in DS games, so I picked up a PS3 controller to get my brother for Xmas. The asshat cashier almost didn’t let me use them spouting off something like, “You can only use 3 for a DVD.” And I glared at him and went, “Yeah, and I’m not buying a DVD or CD,” and he got smart with me saying it was right on there, and I went, “Look, it’s that you can only use UP TO $3 off a CD or DVD. I checked online to make sure it’s good for games and game systems.” Then he begrudgingly took them, which is good, because I was about to show him what his intestines looked like. FATALITY!

My other brother will be getting this lovely square pillow shaped like a block from Mario. He’s a Nintendo freak.

Chestnuts roasted by Mystie @ 12/03/2006 12:00 AM

I don’t have my licence yet either at 19, but I DO have a permit. I’m like halfway there!

At any rate, I actually haven’t bought anything for anyone yet. I guess that counts a ‘bad’ present.

Chestnuts roasted by Timmy @ 12/03/2006 12:01 AM

Hmmm, I’m cheap and I have few friends worth buying gifts for.

For a frat Xmas party, we’re having a “secret santa” kinda thing, where we each get a present, and someone pulls a name out of a hat, and they get that gift. I’m bringing a few big boxes of Swedish Fish. Don’t ask, it’s an inside joke you won’t understand.

I’ve bought my dad a borders gift card, and my mom the “The Hatch” playset from the Lost figures series. I’m still debating whether this is best or worst. I could’ve gotten her the AI “Best & Worst of Seasons 1-4″, but I didn’t.

As for myself, I caved in after 2 or so years and bought a 3rd gen Pokemon game: Emerald. It’s my gift, to myself, for being a good X-Er this year.

Chestnuts roasted by Invader Norbert @ 12/03/2006 12:38 AM

I’ve done pretty good so far, I think.

One nephew is getting Starfox DS, another is getting The Simpsons S1 on DVD (he wants it, it’s not an arbitrary decison). Yet another is getting a LEGO Ferrari set. And another is getting some Led Zepplin mega CD set. (Again, he asked.) The final nephew, my godson, may luck out on the “godson” factor and nail a DS Lite.

On the nieces side, one is getting Twilight Princess for the Wii. Another gets some Bratz “sister & little sister” two-pack. Another is getting the Baby Alive doll, and yet another is getting this really awesome Happy Feet dancing penguin doll Still have a few to go.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 12/03/2006 12:39 AM

So far I have gotten both my sisters the exact same novelty phones that they had when we were young. One gets one in the shape of a piano, the other gets a skittles candy phone. Ebay helped me out with finding them. Other than that I have bought a load of stuff for my son.
My mother ALWAYS buys me luxurious things I don’t use. Like sterling silverware. For real. I don’t use them. Ever.

Chestnuts roasted by kb @ 12/03/2006 12:55 AM

You know you can delete Tom from your friends, right Matt? I mean who’s a bigger loser than Tom? Anyone who keeps them on their friend list, that’s who. :D

Chestnuts roasted by K- @ 12/03/2006 1:24 AM

I’m not the one you need to tell!

Wow, I can’t believe it’s after midnight. Why has Saturday left so soon?

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 12/03/2006 1:26 AM

Hi, first timer here. My nieces love my dog, and my friend wants to get rid of her puppy. Guess what my nieces are getting?

Chestnuts roasted by Shawn @ 12/03/2006 1:28 AM

Welcome aboard, Shawn.

Speaking of pups for Christmas — at that fair I wrote about several entries back, they actually raffled off a puppy. Seemed like everyone but us bought 10-30 tickets, and when they finally got around to drawing the big winner, the crowd was enormous. The family that won at least seemed more genuinely happy than “shit what are we gonna do with a dog,” but it was interesting/depressing to see the amount of stonefaced, tearful kids walk away from the bingo spinner like they’d just seen their family assassinated.

Chestnuts roasted by Matt @ 12/03/2006 1:36 AM

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This entry was posted on Saturday, December 2nd, 2006 at 7:00 pm and is filed under General. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.